Starting Atkins. Need Support!

DahnaLane

Yes, you will lose a crapload of weight, but...once you start eating normal again, you will gain it back, plus some. I have seen soooo many of my friends do this and they just don't understand why. It's not difficult to figure out.

but honestly - what is the definition of eating normal?

Not one single person can tell me that eating preservatives, refined sugars/flour and processed foods is eating normal.

Newfiedan

i have found what works for me and that is keeping carbs to a minimum. so basically you are saying dont listen to that guys stuff , just listen to the guy i likes stuff. hmm

What works best for you is not what works best for others and if you really feel like attacking me with your comments then you really need to research what I recommended in terms of a healthier path, atkins diet is not healthy because it restricts healthy stuff, a person can work fine of lower carb but carbs are not the enemy, healthy slow processing complex carbs are the better choice, any diet that restricts healthy foods that the body can benefit from is just moronic and not sustainable in the long term. How many carbs you eat will vary person to person so back off, take a chill pill and relax. I recommend a healthy option which is sustainable long term, we all need carbs in the diet. Why is it that I see time and again ppl like you attacking someone who recommends a healthy path?

Grokette

so I am about to start on Atkins this Monday May 2nd. This is all new to me but I would love the help and support from those who have done it, are currently on it, or are thinking about doing it. Just befriend me. I would love your advice.

Read the book. Stock up on the allowable vegetables. Drink plenty of water, tea, herbal teas. Consume very little or no artificial sweeteners.

There are 4 phases to this plan to make a lifestyle change. The Plan works if you work the plan. If you work all 4 phases you will maintain your weight loss effortlessly......

In 2003 I lost 100+ pounds until 2008 when a car accident had me rendered incapacitated for a time.

Grokette

Look at the South Beach or the 17 Day Diet before you try Atkins. I have done all three but my best results came from SB and 17 Day. I am on 17 Day now. It is still low carb and quick weight loss but not just meat, eggs and cheese. Need more balance than what Atkins has to offer. However you are an adult and allowed to make your own choices. Just speaking from experience.

Good Luck

Atkins is just more than meat, eggs, and cheese. If that is all you were eating on Atkins, then you sure were NOT doing the Atkins plan.

Here is the Phase 1 veggie list from the 2002 edition book, which is the book that I purchased first. Stock up on these vegetables. Don't be afraid to try new vegetables as your taste buds are going to change!!

Salad Vegetables

You can have two to three cups per day of the vegetables listed below. These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.

Alfalfa sprouts
Daikon
Mushrooms
Arugula
Endive
Parsley
Bok Choy
Escarole
Peppers
Celery
Fennel
Radicchio
Chicory
Jicama
Radishes
Chives
Iceberg Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Boston Lettuce
Bibb Lettuce
Cucumber
Mâche
Sorrel

Other Vegetables

You can have one cup per day of these veggies if salad does not exceed two cups. If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count. The following vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables:

Artichoke
Celery Root
Pumpkin
Artichoke Hearts
Rhubarb
Asparagus
Chard
Sauerkraut
Bamboo Shoots
Eggplant
Spinach
Broccoli
Hearts of Palm
String or Wax Beans
Broccoli Rabe
Kale
Brussell Sprouts
Kohlrabi
Tomato
Leeks
Turnips
Cabbage
Okra
Water Chestnuts
Cauliflower
Onion
Zucchini
Collard Greens
Scallions
Dandelion
Snow Peas
Bean Sprouts
Dandelion Greens
Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash
Beet Greens

Grokette

Atkins is absolutely HORRIBLE for your overall health!!! Don't do it!

Wow, how judgemental can someone be???

Hmmmm, lets see.......eating protein and green leafy vegetables and then adding in nuts, more veggies, fruit, eventually dairy, some grains, some beans, legumes.. is not good for your health????

Also getting off high blood pressure meds, depression and bi-polar meds, Diabetes meds and thyroid meds to living medication free.

Wow, that is some unhealthiness there.

Grokette

I do not recommend the atkin's diet. I do recommend eating sensibly and having a balanced diet. You can watch your carbs, but your body NEEDS carbs.

And any diet that says I cannot have an apple, but I can have a plate of bacon is just wrong, imo :laugh:

Yes, you will lose a crapload of weight, but...once you start eating normal again, you will gain it back, plus some. I have seen soooo many of my friends do this and they just don't understand why. It's not difficult to figure out.

Where is everyone getting this information??????

After about 6 or 8 weeks on Atkins I began eating an apple every single day. Fruit is allowed, it is just allowed on Phase 2.

Geeeesh, go read one of the books and educate yourself before getting on a public bulletin boards stating on misinformation and untruths.

Grokette

Another vote for the 40/20/20 ratio. Atkins in particular is not great due to muscle loss.

South Beach isn't nearly as bad. Atkins will give you headaches, make you cranky and make your breath smell.

You brain can only function on carbs. The amount you get on Atkins is barely enough for brain function, let alone any energy for anything else.

If you want to try low-carb, try South Beach. What's your fear of carbs anyway?

I highly recommend the current book I'm reading called the Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto. He also wrote burn the fat, feed the muscle. He explains how to eat regular food (at higher than 1200 a day calories) and exercise sensibly. It's an excellent resource.

Low/No Carb will lose water weight first, then fat/muscle. Problem is, it doesn't discriminate. When the weight is off, you'll gain it back easily as you will have lost the muscle that burns calories. You can actually decrease your metabolism.

The human brain function off fatty acids due to being made up of more than 60% fat itself.

There is plenty of nutrition on the Atkins plan.

lodro

i have found what works for me and that is keeping carbs to a minimum. so basically you are saying dont listen to that guys stuff , just listen to the guy i likes stuff. hmm

What works best for you is not what works best for others and if you really feel like attacking me with your comments then you really need to research what I recommended in terms of a healthier path, atkins diet is not healthy because it restricts healthy stuff, a person can work fine of lower carb but carbs are not the enemy, healthy slow processing complex carbs are the better choice, any diet that restricts healthy foods that the body can benefit from is just moronic and not sustainable in the long term. How many carbs you eat will vary person to person so back off, take a chill pill and relax. I recommend a healthy option which is sustainable long term, we all need carbs in the diet. Why is it that I see time and again ppl like you attacking someone who recommends a healthy path?

I think I can safely establish that you're not talking about the Atkins diet at all, only about your fantasy version of the Atkins diet. You truly think that Atkins in its maintenance phase is NO carb? Where did you get that information. Surely not from Atkins' books.

Grokette

I did Atkins for 2 months in college as part of a documentary-style assignment for a writing class. I followed the plan and recorded it every day. It. Was. Hell. You have NO energy, your "systems" are completely blocked up, your hair will start to look like hell. That beings aid, you will lose weight. I lost 23 pounds in two months. However, within 3 weeks of going off it I gained 30.

I'm currently doing a 40/40/20 ratio of protein/carbs/fat and have had great success. I still have enough energy to work out and have been losing steadily. Everything is moving along nicely and my hair and nails aren't looking like crap. Neither is my skin. Just some food for thought.

same here i lost 14lbs in 2-3 weeks but soon as you stop you gain it back if not double. I did it 3 times and gained double back each time

I can safely say that neither one of you did the Atkins plan. The Atkins plan is a lifestyle change, not a temporary documentary. And of couse you gained the weight back when you went back to eating the junk food that was more than likely included in your plan before hand.

Atkins is not designed to go off of. That is why there are 4 phases that take you from the first part of eliminating all through the phases of adding back in carbs according to the glycemic index and then into maintenance mode where you eat everything except for white flour, sugar, etc...........

Grokette

I didn't start losing weight or inches UNTIL I started eating carbs. I only eat complex carbs now (barley, lentils,oatmeal, whole grains). They keep you full longer, offer fiber, and often protein. I actually look at the chart for MFP and work toward meeting it. I use whole butter for fat, as opposed to hydrogenated margarine. I use Olive Oil a lot! Don't go over the fat allowances, but the balances seem to be working for me. And, watch the sodium. Unfortunately the Food Diary doesn't have enough areas to watch ALL the categories...too bad. But I do look into the second screen all the time.

If you are eating meat, protein, vegetables, some fruits and those above mentioned whole grains - That is what Atkins is all about........

So your not actually eating any different than someone following Atkins.

Newfiedan

I think I can safely establish that you're not talking about the Atkins diet at all, only about your fantasy version of the Atkins diet. You truly think that Atkins in its maintenance phase is NO carb? Where did you get that information. Surely not from Atkins' books.

The problem with the atkins diet is that it gives the notion that carbs are the enemy and most ppl whom do go on it don't ever go to the maintenance phase of the diet. I did the weight loss portion of it and yes it does work but for me it was not the healthy option for that loss. The way I do I am doing things these days works just fine for healthy fat loss and it is not restrictive on what you eat although having a cleaner diet helps. I know full well what the atkins diet is and what it consists of. The maintenance side of it I have no problem with at all but the weight loss side of the diet I do have a problem with. As soon as you say the word atkins diet 90% of ppl think super low or no carbs, which the weight loss side of it pretty much is. It is also associated with carbs being the enemy which is simply not true, it is what carbs people choose to eat that becomes the problem. Yes lower carb does help and I happen to personally believe that mfp recommends to much in the way of carbs, but it is finding a healthy balance that is key. The single biggest reason that fad diets fail is that people fail to make the required habit changes to make it last, they go back to eating in their old habits and the weight comes back. I had the books on the atkins diet and on many fad diets, it is not until now that I managed to find what really works for me. Extremist behavior in any diet is usually not good, we need to be human, make some mistakes and still stay on track overall. So do not assume that I am uneducated on what the diet entails because I do not totally agree with its principles.

Grokette

I think I can safely establish that you're not talking about the Atkins diet at all, only about your fantasy version of the Atkins diet. You truly think that Atkins in its maintenance phase is NO carb? Where did you get that information. Surely not from Atkins' books.

The problem with the atkins diet is that it gives the notion that carbs are the enemy and most ppl whom do go on it don't ever go to the maintenance phase of the diet. I did the weight loss portion of it and yes it does work but for me it was not the healthy option for that loss. The way I do I am doing things these days works just fine for healthy fat loss and it is not restrictive on what you eat although having a cleaner diet helps. I know full well what the atkins diet is and what it consists of. The maintenance side of it I have no problem with at all but the weight loss side of the diet I do have a problem with. As soon as you say the word atkins diet 90% of ppl think super low or no carbs, which the weight loss side of it pretty much is. It is also associated with carbs being the enemy which is simply not true, it is what carbs people choose to eat that becomes the problem. Yes lower carb does help and I happen to personally believe that mfp recommends to much in the way of carbs, but it is finding a healthy balance that is key. The single biggest reason that fad diets fail is that people fail to make the required habit changes to make it last, they go back to eating in their old habits and the weight comes back. I had the books on the atkins diet and on many fad diets, it is not until now that I managed to find what really works for me. Extremist behavior in any diet is usually not good, we need to be human, make some mistakes and still stay on track overall. So do not assume that I am uneducated on what the diet entails because I do not totally agree with its principles.

Atkins does not give that perception. ANYONE that has read any of the books knows that you eat plenty of carbs. Anyone that thinks otherwise is uneducated.

Atkins is not a fad plan either. The whole post is riddled with rethoric.........

And anyone that doesn't follow the plan from Phase 1 through to Phase 4 IS NOT DOING ATKINS!!!!!

Where are you not eating carbs??? Here is the carb ladder and adding back in the carbs in a very slow and controlled manner so you can see if any foods are trigger foods for migraines, cravings or you swell up with water weight......

Yep, this list sure shows that Atkins says carbs are the enemy, this is the Atkins carb ladder and the order in which you add back in the foods. It is modeled on the glycemic index and as you see the highest glycemic foods are added in last and meant to be eaten in small quantities.

1.More salad and other vegetables
2.Fresh cheeses (as well as more aged cheese)
3.Nuts and Seeds
4.Berries, then melons
5.Dry wine (and other spirits low in carbs)
6.Legumes
7.Other Fruits
8.Starchy vegetables
9.Whole grains

That_Girl

I just want to say that I was overweight and never ate fast food BAHAHAHA :laugh:

My kids have never been to a McDonald's.

Well, except for an ice cream.

NinaP2013

Add me if you are doing Atkins =D

chevy88grl

I did Atkins a few years ago. Let me tell you that I was probably the ONLY person who didn't lose any weight on it. I did it for a few months, had myself firmly in ketosis on a regularly basis and still didn't lose weight. On top of that, I had no energy and honestly, I think I retained so much water that it completely zeroed out what MIGHT have been weight loss. I found it very difficult to do.

mursey

That is total crap what someone said about losing your hair and losing energy. I'm 5'4" 114 pounds and lift weights, run, and run stairs. I do it on Atkins. I've been doing Atkins for YEARS. And my cholesterol is great. Friend me, I posted a topic asking for low carbs friends who lift weights and almost all my friends on this site are low carb.

I never can lose any weight without going low carb. I don't have cravings, my blood sugar is stable, I feel full, and I'm in great health.

Also read this:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbs-against-cardio

LowCarbAmanda

I love low carb! I DO have energy, and have healed many of my health conditions just by going on (old) Atkins (not to mention all of the weight that's melting off of me)! Good luck!

mursey

I'm doing Atkins, but not 100% cause I'm not doing stages, I'm staying in Induction for weeks until I get closer to my goal and then I'll introduce more vegetables and fruits. I read the 1972 book cover to cover...much better than the "new" version out these days. I recommend it. I have no desire to reintroduce starches anytime soon and definitely not on a routine basis.. I'm currently ending my first month. I guess I'm doing more of a genaralized "keto diet". I'm staying in ketosis by eating close to 20 g carbs per day.

They key with it is, you can't just lose your weight and then go back to eating whatever you want cause you look great and feel great...this has to be a life long change.

Apparently everyone reacts differently because I have SO much more energy, I have much better moods, people have said I have a "glowing" face lol and I'm never hungrycause you eat satisfying foods that keep you full beyond the next meal time.

This change was the best thing I've EVER done...and my sister's doing it too and has reported the same exact effects.

I sent you a friend request.

I totally agree. I also read the old book. Now they're trying to sell it to vegetarians and vegans but Dr Atkins never would have written this. Read the old book.

Also I need to mention that most people who talk badly about the Atkins diet think of it only as the induction phase. I too do the induction phase for longer times than just 2 weeks but if you read the book, he tells you that you can choose to do it shorter or longer depending on your metabolism.

South Beach and the others just stole Atkins and re-marketed it since everyone was so "afraid" of eating all that meat and fat. It's been coming out more and more that meat and fat don't actually cause high cholesterol- processed CARBS do. I just posted one article in my earlier comment but it's like the 10th time I have read this.

lodro

I did Atkins a few years ago. Let me tell you that I was probably the ONLY person who didn't lose any weight on it. I did it for a few months, had myself firmly in ketosis on a regularly basis and still didn't lose weight. On top of that, I had no energy and honestly, I think I retained so much water that it completely zeroed out what MIGHT have been weight loss. I found it very difficult to do.

Despite some claims to the contrary, calories do have an impact on weightloss, even on Atkins' diet plan.